The grand ballroom of the estate was filled with bright crystal lights and expensive flowers.
Wealthy guests walked across the polished marble floor while drinking champagne.
Sarah stood quietly near the serving kitchen doors in her plain gray uniform.
She held a heavy silver tray loaded with roasted platters for the main table.
Her hands were steady, but her heart was beating fast inside her chest.
She had taken this catering job under a fake name to stay close to her past.
Three years ago, everyone in this city believed Sarah had died in a tragic ocean accident.
Her husband, Arthur, had searched for her for months without finding a single clue.
Arthur was the head of a massive company and held immense power in the city.
After Sarah vanished, his late father's ambitious wife, Victoria, moved into the main house.
Victoria acted like a grieving stepmother while secretly pushing Sarah out of the family history.
Sarah had barely survived the frame-up that had cast her into hiding without any money.
She lived in a tiny apartment on the edge of town, working long hours just to survive.
She knew she could not go to the police without solid proof against Victoria's network.
So tonight, she wore her server uniform and kept her face hidden behind a low hat.
She watched the head table from across the room with careful eyes.
Arthur sat near the center of the table looking tired and completely miserable.
Beside him sat Victoria, wearing a deep burgundy velvet gown and expensive jewels.
Victoria smiled at the photographers while pretending to be the pillar of the household.
Then, Sarah saw her six-year-old son, Leo, sitting quietly at the end of the table.
Her eyes filled with tears, but she quickly blinked them away to stay safe.
Leo looked small and sad inside his dark tailored tuxedo.
He was not eating his food and kept staring down at his small lap.
Sarah stepped out onto the ballroom floor with her heavy silver tray.
She moved carefully between the tables, keeping her gaze strictly on the floor tiles.
The noise of loud chatter and clinking glasses filled the huge ballroom space.
Sarah picked up a serving spoon to fill the plate of a nearby guest.
She just wanted to be near her son for a few stolen minutes without making a sound.
She knew that one wrong move would send Victoria's hired security after her again.
She adjusted her crisp white apron and moved closer to the head table where Leo sat.